Lily's Magic
by Amy788
Summary: Lily's summer seemed boring until Remus showed up at her doorstep for an unknown reason looking absolutely terrible and refusing to see the other Marauders. The summer is coming to an end and James has no idea that Remus and Lily are becoming closer friends. Soon at school he suspects, along with Sirius, that Remus and Lily are 'more than friends'...but are they? J/L
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Note: This is my first attempt at any Harry Potter fanfiction so please be nice if you choose to review. Also, I do not own any rights. Warner Bros and JK Rowling do. **

**Amy  
**

Staring at the ceiling in her room, Lily Evans had absolutely nothing to do. It was mid-summer and she was home alone. Her sister had once again demanded her parents' attention with Vernon and his parents and of course Lily refused to come along. While she might be labeled a 'freak' by Petunia, there was no way she was going to get along civilly with them anyway. Besides, Petunia didn't want her to go in the first place. So there she was in her bed laying there, counting the tiles on her ceiling. A few things were running through her head that she could be doing like reading some books ahead of time for school or writing Alice once more…but what would she say to Alice?

A loud bang downstairs woke her up out of her daydream and she jumped out of bed. After almost tripping down the stairs, she peeked through the curtains and couldn't believe who was at the door. His clothes were in shatters and he looked like he hadn't slept in days. She opened the door and just stared at him.

"Remus?" She said, hesitantly. She wasn't even sure it was him. He certainly didn't look like the sixteen year old she had last seen at the train station a few months ago. Bruises and cuts covered his face and arms. His pants and shirt were torn to shreds, barely holding together at the seams. He half smiled and nodded.

"Hi Lily. Can I come in?" He looked from side to side. "I think I might be scaring your neighbors." She let him in immediately and led him to the kitchen, trying not to track dirt anywhere there was carpet. Her mom would murder her if she made a mess, regardless of who made it.

"Remus you look terrible! Are you hurt?! Can I help you? Why didn't you go to James? Or Sirius?" She knew they were his best friends. It had occurred to her that maybe they had turned him away or gotten into an argument or some sort. Either way she was completely confused.

Remus shook his head and told her he didn't even go to them. He explained that he didn't want them to know that he was here at her place. Her eyes went wide with shock. He assured her that he wasn't sick just hurt. Then came the hardest part, he had to tell her the truth.

"I came to you because I knew you would help. James and Sirius are going through some rough times at the moment. I can't say what exactly but I didn't want to add to it. So I came to you. Please if you don't want me here say so now because I will leave." Lily jumped up and hugged him then pulled away just as quickly when he whimpered from pain. "I'm sorry, but I am hurt," he explained. She didn't tell him to leave of course. Of all the Marauders he was the least obnoxious and easiest to get along with. Lily couldn't turn him away, especially in this condition. She would not press him for information on what happened, well not yet. There would be more time later.

"Let's get you cleaned up and taken care of Remus. I'm great at Healing Spells and you know it. Plus, I'm seventeen. Magic is allowed you know!" She winked and went upstairs to get her wand. She kept it hidden under her pillow, usually because of Petunia, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Remus looked around the kitchen at all the Muggle things. It wasn't a small house but cute in its own way. It seemed a place where Lily would definitely come from. When she came back, he smiled and thanked her but she just shrugged it off. "Don't thank me yet. I haven't even started," she said.

Spell after spell, slowly but surely her magic worked and his cuts and bruises went away. She told him to take off his tattered shirt, blushing just a little. Any guy shirtless made her blush, regardless of the guy. There were a few bruises that no matter what spell she used, she couldn't get to heal. He kept silent about them. Lily felt like she should ask about it but didn't. Once again, there would be more time later. Remus came to her and he was going to explain more to her later no doubt about that. She was Lily Evans after all just as stubborn as her her father.

In half an hour Remus looked a lot better, despite the fact that his clothes looked really bad still. She frowned at them and told him to wait while she went upstairs and grabbed some of her dad's clothes, hoping they would fit Remus at least a small bit. She showed him the bathroom to change in. It was a loose fit but the clothes worked for now. Remus thanked her profusely but she shrugged it off again. "Don't even thank me Remus. I would never turn you down," she stated and then messed with his light brown shoulder length hair. "You really need a haircut. You know that?" She said, half-jokingly. He rolled his eyes and then added that he would only if she did it. She slumped her shoulders, regretting bringing it up.

"Tomorrow, ok?" She said, smiling at him. "Tonight we need to figure out where you can sleep. Probably we can use the pull out couch here in the living room but I'll have to tell my dad first and—"

"Wait wait you're going to let me stay here?" Remus said, unbelievingly. She had cleaned him up, gave him her father's clothes, and now she wanted him to stay the night. This was more than he had even thought about from the beginning. "I couldn't begin to ask for that Lily. Don't worry about it."

"Don't be silly! You've got nowhere to go and don't lie to me. I am going to talk to my dad when he comes home and we'll work this all out. You're staying for either one night or the rest of the summer. Depends on how long you need it. I insist." She crossed her arms and Remus had no choice but to give in. Lily would be his undoing but he would be ever grateful to her and her family.


	2. Chapter 2

**Oh wow the overwhelming support for this story makes it all worth while. Sorry this chapter is short, it's more of a filler chapter for the plot coming soon. You can count on that! Thank you for your reviews, you adding to favorites and everything! I appreciate all. I hope you enjoy. **

**Amy  
**

The moment Petunia saw Remus she knew that he was one of them. She nearly growled at Remus then stomped upstairs, muttering under her breath about what kind of freaks her parents actually let inside this house. Lily rolled her eyes and looked sympathetically at Remus who now knew just what Lily went through every summer. Her dad saw that this boy was in his clothes and then questioningly at Lily.

"Do I even want to know?" He asked.

"It's not what you think dad. I promise. Remus is a friend and he needs my help. I want him to stay the night on the pull out couch. He's got nowhere else to go at the moment….Please dad." She looked at him with her puppy dog eyes that worked on him every single time. He nodded and then gestured to her mum.

"As long as she approves, it's alright with me I suppose. No naughty business, mind you! She is my little girl and I'll kick you out if I have to no matter what she says." He said, pointing to Remus. "Keep your hands to yourself." Remus nearly laughed, raising his hands in the air in innocence. He left the room and Lily went up to Remus and apologized to her dad's behavior.

"Even though I am seventeen, he still does act like I'm ten sometimes. He can be crazy at times but he is my dad." Remus laughed out loud finally and put an arm around her shoulders.

"Think I'll get in trouble for this?" He smiled and she tickled his side to which he jumped away.

"Hey no tickles!"

"You asked for it." She stated. She noticed it was getting dark outside and thought it was just about time to start getting his bed ready. Even though her mum had yet to approve, it'd be easy to get her permission. A few promised chores and one cooked meal would probably do it. It wasn't like Lily was brand new at bribing her parents at anything.

Remus just watched Lily work at taking out the bed, getting out linens for it and prepare it nicely for him to stay the night or as she had said before possibly for the rest of the summer. She had seemed so matter of fact about it too. The only thing he worried about was why he had come here in the first place. She was not the type to let a secret just go untold especially since he had shown up so unexpectedly and so torn up. James and Sirius would never know about this as long as he could keep it quiet. And while Lily was very good at prying secrets out of people, she was also very good at keeping them as well. He knew that he could trust her with this one.

It was around two in the morning before they separated to go off to bed. They had talked for hours about school, homework, prefect responsibilities and who would probably be head girl and head boy. Lily looked back as Remus lay down to sleep and didn't see the boy she had first met, an obnoxious Marauder. Instead she saw a young man trying to grow up in a world that was becoming too intense for all of them in the wizard world. She got into her own bed thinking about that and how scared she was. She was certain there was a war just around the corner and as a muggle born she might be in more danger than most of the people in Hogwarts. That wouldn't stop her now though. She was Lily Evans and nothing stopped her, not even the prospect of a war.

Lily rescued Remus from Petunia in the morning and took him out to the local mall to buy him some decent clothes instead of having to wear her dad's clothes all the time. Needless to say, her dad was not into the seventeen year old fashion. She looked at Remus who was smiling brightly like a kid who had just gotten a million Christmas gifts for the first time. She started to wonder when the last time someone had taken him shopping. Some jeans, some shirts, some underclothes which she was NOT going to help him with, and some shoes were on her checklist and some groceries her mother had roped her into buying when she found out where her daughter was going. Lily had protested but went along with it anyway.

"I can't thank you enough for this." Remus said out of the blue. It had been silent between the two for a bit on their walk from her house to the mall.

"No problem. It's my mum's money too. She must like you, Remus. But I mean, who couldn't?"

"A lot of people…." He trailed off but didn't elaborate on that which drove Lily crazy. She needed answers soon!

"You do realize that you are going to tell me things soon. I'm not going to sit around and-"

"Lily I know, ok? I promise. I am just not ready. I need time." He slumped his shoulders and she stopped and took his hand in hers. His wounds were more than skin deep and she now realized that. So if time was something he needed, she could give him that. She could give him all the time he needed. That's what friends did.

"I'll wait. But I won't give up. Count on it, Lupin." She winked then started moving but not letting go of his hand. He smiled once again and started walking along side with her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry for not writing more and that this one is shorter. My family suffered a great loss and I haven't been up to writing. That will change I certainly hope. Thank you for your support with this story! -Amy**

Remus spent the next two days with her. He fit right in which didn't really surprise Lily at all. Remus always did pay attention in Muggle Studies. It wasn't until the third day that something unusual caught her eye. They were unloading some more groceries when Remus noticed the calendar on the refrigerator door. His eyes opened wide then excused himself quickly claiming suddenly feeling ill. Lily didn't believe a word of it and raised an eyebrow at her mom who shrugged her shoulders. Lily glanced at the calender to see what Remus had seen and noticed that the calender had the lunar schedule on it. In 3 days would be the full moon. Lily suspected that was he had seen but maybe this time Remus would tell her the truth. She then left to follow the weird friend of hers.

"Remus? Where the bloody hell did you go?" She asked, looking around the living room then up the stairs where she heard scuffling noises. Someone was in her room and was going to make a hole in the floor if he didn't stop pacing like she knew he was already doing. He always did when he was nervous. This time there was no escaping from answers and she was going to get them now. Lily put on her strictest face and opened the door to face Remus.

"What was that all about? You can't just act like a crazy person and not expect me to want answers. I will have them this time you know." He was trapped and he knew it. She was smart, probably even smarter than him, and a lie would not get him out, not this time, not any time from now on. Quietly admitting defeat, he sat down on her bed, closed his eyes, and slumped his shoulders. He started from the very beginning about when he was tricked and bitten by a werewolf. Not once did he dare to look into her eyes. He was a monster and he knew it. Remus finished by telling her about the shrieking shack but not about the other Marauders. That was their secret to tell, not his. After all that, he took one long breath. It was all out now for her judgment.

A long pause hung in the air before Lily put a finger under his chin and made him have eye contact with her. His eyes were filled with fear of being rejected and she felt so sorry for him. Years and years of being hidden and hurt must have taken a tole on him. All Lily wanted to do was hug him but she refused to just yet. She shook it off inwardly and did the one thing he least expected. She smiled.

"Tell me something I don't already know, Lupin."

"Whaaaaaaaat?" His jaw dropped.

She smirked and put her hands on her hips. Her self confidence shot up greatly. "I figured most of that out third year, _Moony." _Remus rolled his eyes at the nickname. "And Sirius pretty much spilled the rest one night in the common room when he thought I was asleep. Be careful with him," she warned and he nodded. "One thing. Tell me why you showed up at my house…well…the way you did."

Remus frowned and covered his mouth with one hand, thinking of how to explain all of this to her then decided once again to just come clean.

"I ran for my life, Lily. My parents are dead. Voldemort…..my parents were killed. Voldemort wanted me but my parents wouldn't have it. He killed them instead! He killed…Oh Merlin!" At that moment it was as if it all hit Remus and he fell apart in Lily's arms. She soothed him as best she could but words only touched the surface of his pain. Now fully understanding the source of it all, she held on to Remus tightly until his tears subsided. She even started crying herself, scared for him and for everyone else in the war. It was becoming more and more a reality every day.

"Is he coming here?" She had to ask and he shook his head. "That's why you aren't with James, isn't it? But his parents are Aurors. He tells everyone that!" She exclaimed, very confused.

"I'm not putting them in that kind of danger. I'm not even going to tell them, Lily. You can not tell them. Not yet." He insisted, looking back up and into her eyes. "Promise me. You will not stress James out."

"What's going on with James anyway? You said something's going on with James, didn't you?"

"Don't worry about it." He waved it off and she bit her lip but didn't press it further. These were his friends and if he didn't want to worry them, that was not her problem. But she would keep her promise and that was that.

"I won't tell. I promise."


End file.
